The Queen Victoria Building, universally shortened to the QVB, fills an entire George Street block with Romanesque sandstone, stained-glass windows and a great central copper dome. Built in 1898 as a market hall, it fell into shabby disrepair and was nearly demolished in the 1950s before a careful 1980s restoration returned it to its full Victorian splendour. Pierre Cardin once called it "the most beautiful shopping centre in the world", and it is hard to argue while standing under the arched glass roof.
Four floors of boutiques, jewellers and cafes wrap around the central void. Look up for the two suspended mechanical clocks, which put on hourly shows, and down at the original tiled floors and wrought-iron balustrades. Even if you do not intend to shop, it is one of the most pleasant ways to walk between the Town Hall and the centre of the city.